Miyuki’s ALL 3 form has been posted in Chapter 00 Characters *
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In the forest, four figures were moving through the woods. It was Renji and his group, now accompanied by the dragon girl. Renji being considerate of Nova’s fatigue from training soldiers, decided to head to the Lizardman Tribe early. They were following the location given by Nozomi.
From a distance, they could see a flag bearing the image of a ferocious giant lizard with its bloodthirsty mouth wide open. Almost every tribe sought to make their flags as terrifying as possible, almost like a form of protective camouflage.
As Renji and the others approached within a hundred meters of the flag, two Lizardman, who happened to be returning from outside their tribe, intercepted them.
“Human?” One of the Lizardmen immediately spoke with a tense voice, pointing their weapon directly at Renji, who did not attempt to hide his presence.
Fortunately, the taller and more robust companion beside them raised a hand, restraining the overzealous behavior of their companion.
This companion, who appeared more imposing with numerous decorations on their body, such as tooth necklaces around their neck and wrists, stood out from the rest. The more ornaments one had, the higher their position within the tribe.
With confidence, the imposing figure strode forward toward Renji and his companions. Upon reaching the “outsiders” Rush, a Lizardman with brown vertical pupils, focused on the only male among the four, considering him the leader.
As the tribe chief’s son, Rush with a bit more experience, quickly discerned that Renji and the humans with him were different from the regular Dragon Gate soldiers. He lost interest immediately, exhaling white mist from his nostrils. He raised his rough lizard-like hand and made a gesture for them to detour.
“The territory lies ahead belonging to the Lizardman Tribe. Humans are not welcome” Rush declared, giving a turn over and go from where you come signal with a dismissive attitude.
However, just as Rush was about to turn away, he had to halt and furrow his brows.
“Hey, big guy! We are representatives of the Revolutionary Army from the Sealed City. We’ve come with urgent matters to discuss with your tribe chief. If you understand, lead us in!”
“Sealed Capital, Revolutionary Army? Looking for my father?” Rush cast a puzzled look at Eileen, who had just called out to him.
Eileen, too, was somewhat surprised, but her expression quickly turned into a smile. She retrieved an envelope from her pocket and tossed it to Rush.
“Take a look at this letter. It’s written by the second-in-command of our Revolutionary Army to your dad. Now, do you believe us?”
Rush, still skeptical, opened the envelope. As the future leader of the tribe, he was literate and quickly scanned the contents of the letter. After reading it, Rush no longer doubted the identities of Renji and the others.
He was aware of the past connection between his father and the Revolutionary Army, though it was a matter from a long time ago. Nevertheless, knowing about his father’s ties to the Revolutionary Army did not make Rush more welcoming.
“Go back. The Lizardman Tribe doesn’t welcome you.”
“What!? You still don’t believe our identity?”
“No, it’s precisely because I know you’re from the Revolutionary Army that we don’t welcome you. I, Rush, I am not like my father. I won’t be fooled by you. No matter how you try to deceive us with tricks, you won’t get anything from the Lizardman Tribe. You won’t take away any resources from us!”
As he rejected them, Rush’s expression also carried a hint of anger. He vividly remembered that fox-lady, his aunt named “Nozomi” at the time. She had beguiled his father so much that it seemed like a spell. Even though their tribe struggled to have enough to eat and wear, they had to give away a large amount of resources to that stinking foxy lady.
For the sake of revolution, for the future of their demi-human race – what a load of nonsense! His father was swayed by her beauty, lured into the clutches of Aunt Nozomi! They were tricked, and now, Rush, as the future new chief, wouldn’t waver like his father did. He would only act for the benefit of the tribe. All this talk of revolution should stay far away from them!
One moment, Rush held firmly to these thoughts.
Until the next moment.
As the gaze of the Lizardman shifted from Eileen to the remaining people behind Renji, his eyes widened in astonishment. Rush noticed that among the four outsiders, not all were humans—there was one… a demi-human!
Moreover, it was a dragon girl!
Rush stared in amazement at the dragon girl positioned at the back, and a strange sensation rushed through his mind. He was dumbfounded, completely unprepared for the discovery that in this world, ‘there could be such a beautiful and stunning being’. Rush lacked the vocabulary to express it accurately, but with just one glance, he was certain that she was a dragonkin, utterly different from the other female lizard demi-humans within the tribe.
For Rush, it felt like a dimensional shock, especially with the two small horns on top of the dragon girl’s head. His gaze couldn’t move away, his heart pounding, and his whole-body trembling with excitement.
He seemed to have… enlightened.
He began to understand his father’s actions back then.
“Cough, cough!”
Rush cleared his throat. Suddenly, he made a quick turnabout, transitioning from his earlier firm rejection to a situation where there might still be room for negotiation.
As for what could be negotiated, Rush led Renji’s group to another location. It was a vast area, obviously well-maintained and regularly cleared. In the center of this space lay… a hammer?
“In the past, our Lizardman ancestors, as one of the seventy-two tribes who fought alongside the ‘Great Emperor,’ were proud recipients of weapons bestowed by the ‘Great Emperor.’ Since then, this weapon has been passed down in our Lizardman Tribe as a symbol of generational honor, what you humans often call… a relic!” 𝘪.𝑐ℴ𝘮
As Rush spoke, he proudly puffed out his chest. In moments like these, he felt a deep sense of pride for his Lizardman Tribe. After all, not every demi-human tribe had such a glorious history of fighting alongside the “Great Emperor” and the privilege of inheriting powerful relics like the “Hammer.”
Rush intentionally led Renji’s group to this place to showcase the Lizardman Tribe, raising the status and image of the tribe’s leader’s son. He hoped to make a more dazzling impression and attract attention.
Thinking about this, Rush discreetly cast a glance at the dragonkin, but unfortunately, the dragonkin always seemed so cold and bored?
Never once did she glance at him.
It seemed that his passionate description of their illustrious history hadn’t stirred any reaction in her.
“So, big guy, why did you bring us here? And, is this really a relic? It looks like a plain stone pedestal to me.”
Being exposed by Eileen, Rush coughed awkwardly, and then his face revealed a touch of resentment.
“Well, it’s not a relic. The real relics were stolen by those damned Dragon Gate Soldier! But! We imitated and recreated this based on the relics. In our Lizardman Tribe, there’s an agreement: whoever can lift this hammer with their strength alone can become our new leader!”
As Rush spoke, Eileen, excitedly confirming, asked, “Really? Lifting it makes you the chief, and everyone has to listen to me?”
Seeing the skinny human girl in front of him, Rush made a disdainful sound and gestured for her to try it out.
This immediately triggered Eileen’s stubbornness. Without a word, she ran to the imitation hammer created by the Lizardman Tribe. She arrogantly attempted to lift it with one hand, but the stone hammer remained unmoved. Switching to both hands and exerting all her strength, she could only make the hammer sway slightly.
“This damn thing must weigh several hundred kilograms!” .
Due to the rule of relying solely on strength, Eileen couldn’t use Miasma’s power. While complaining, she turned to look at Rush.
“After all that boasting, can you lift it yourself?”
Finally, the moment arrived!
Rush not only didn’t get angry at Eileen’s questioning but rather threw her a approving look. He had been waiting for this—the chance to showcase his mighty strength!
He confidently stepped up to the stone hammer, crafted almost with the entire strength of their Lizardman Tribe, using the toughest “gneiss” available. This heavy hammer was not just about the relic being stolen; it was a constant reminder of their glorious history as one of the seventy-two tribes fighting alongside the “Great Emperor”. They always strived to keep their honor alive and dreamt of reclaiming the relic someday. Hence, the intentionally cumbersome stone hammer and the tribal rule were designed to inspire their people.
Standing before the stone hammer, Rush spread his strong legs apart. Bending slightly at the knees, he firmly grasped the hammer’s handle. Taking a deep breath, his muscles bulged, and with a furious shout, he exerted force from his legs, forcefully pushing off the ground. Utilizing the reaction force, he simultaneously lifted his arms.
The several hundred-kilogram stone hammer was indeed lifted by Rush, if only a few centimeters. He couldn’t go any higher, and after enduring for three seconds, he released it with a “clang” noise letting the hammer fall back into the sandy ground.
“Heh heh, how… how was it? I didn’t lie to you,” Rush panted, his face filled with excitement. He never expected to surpass himself today, not only lasting one second longer than before but even lifting the hammer half a centimeter higher! He broke his own record!
This achievement also caught the attention of the female dragonkin. Rush was even more thrilled to see her gaze turning toward him for the first time.
‘She is walking towards me?’
Thump, thump!*
Rush’s Blood surged, and his heart raced. ‘Could it be that the powerful display of strength had already left an impression on the female dragonkin? ‘
Before Rush could indulge in more wild thoughts, the dragon girl walked directly through him and approached the stone hammer.
‘Was she also going to attempt it? Truly worthy of a dragonkin!’
Rush expressed his respect to Nova, appreciating her daring spirit. Just her willingness to challenge gained quite a bit of his favor. Although Rush knew the outcome, considering he had trained with this hammer since childhood for over a decade, he was well aware that an untrained demi-human wouldn’t be able to…
In the eyes of the chief’s son, Nova performed four actions.
She walked up, casually bent down, casually grasped the hammer, and then, casually lifted it like a toy.
“Huh?” Before Rush could question if he was experiencing some illusion, or even shockingly rub his eyes, his pupils infinitely dilated. The several hundred-kilogram stone hammer seemed to magnify endlessly in his eyes.
Finally, with all the hair on Rush’s body standing on end, the hammer stopped just a few millimeters from the tip of his nose.
Following that, there was the faint voice of the dragon lady.
“So, am I the new chief now?”
.